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June 12, 2026
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June 15, 2026
School choice news kept rolling this week. A state supreme court cleared the way for a blocked voucher program to start paying out, two states opened and closed ESA application windows on tight deadlines, and the new federal scholarship tax credit picked up more states. Here is what homeschool families need to know heading into the middle of June.
Wyoming Supreme Court Clears the Way for ESA Funding
On May 15, 2026, the Wyoming Supreme Court unanimously lifted a lower court injunction that had been blocking the state’s 30 million dollar Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act. The court ruled that the parents challenging the program had not shown they would suffer irreparable personal harm, so the state may now begin distributing funds to families.
The broader constitutional challenge from the Wyoming Education Association is still moving through the courts, so this is not the final word. For now, though, Wyoming families approved for the program can expect funding to flow while the larger case continues.
South Carolina ESTF Hits Its 15,000 Student Cap
South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund closed its 2026-27 applications in early June after reaching the statutory limit of 15,000 students. The relaunched program, which came back after a 2024 court setback, expanded eligibility to households earning up to 500 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, with awards of about 7,600 dollars per student.
If you are a South Carolina family who missed this window, keep an eye on the program for the next cycle. Demand clearly outpaced the cap, which is often the first sign a legislature will look at raising the limit in a future session.
Read more at the SC Department of Education
Tennessee Opens a Short 2026-27 ESA Window
Tennessee reopened its 2026-27 Education Savings Account school application for a short window running May 29 through June 12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Central. The reopening followed Chapter 1069 of the 2026 Public Acts, which amended the program’s testing requirements. The estimated award for 2026-27 is about 10,148 dollars per student.
If you are a Tennessee family considering the ESA program, note that this window closes June 12, so there is very little time left to act. Always confirm current deadlines on the official state page before you rely on them.
Read more at the TN Department of Education
Federal Scholarship Tax Credit: More Than Half the States Are In
The IRS confirmed that more than half of all U.S. states have signed up for the new federal K-12 scholarship tax credit created under the One Big Beautiful Bill. Starting January 1, 2027, donors can claim a 1,700 dollar federal tax credit for gifts to approved scholarship granting organizations. Governors opt their states in by submitting a list of qualifying organizations.
Recent states to opt in include Montana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Virginia. For balance, it is worth noting that the governors of Arizona and North Carolina vetoed measures to participate, so this remains a state-by-state decision. Families who want to know whether their state is in should watch for an announcement from their governor’s office.
Connecticut Homeschool Oversight Is Now Law (Update)
We flagged Connecticut’s oversight bill as it moved through the legislature, and it is now signed. Governor Ned Lamont signed HB 5468 on May 26, 2026. The law requires parents to file an annual intent to educate form, mandates record keeping on homeschooled children, and runs child abuse registry checks on parents who withdraw a child to homeschool.
HSLDA called it the first regression of homeschool freedom in the modern homeschool movement and has signaled it may pursue legal action. Connecticut families should review the new filing requirements carefully so they stay in compliance while the legal questions play out.
A Record Year for School Choice Bills
If it feels like school choice is in the news constantly this year, you are not imagining it. FutureEd’s legislative tracker counts 201 private school choice bills across 36 states in the 2026 session, covering new programs, expansions, eligibility changes, and added oversight. It is a useful resource to bookmark if you like to follow where the next program might appear.
Utah Fits All: Clarified Award and Funding Dates (Update)
In last week’s roundup we noted that Utah Fits All funding would happen on July 1. Dates were being reported differently across sources, so here is the corrected schedule based on the latest information from Odyssey, which administers the program. This is an update to what we shared previously.
Awards will begin being issued on June 16, but spending for the 2026-2027 program year does not begin until July 1. That means if your student is awarded the scholarship in June, you will not be reimbursed for spending that happens before July 1.
There is one exception: tuition. If you paid a deposit, an enrollment fee, or tuition before July 1 to secure your student’s spot for the 2026-2027 school year, you may submit that expense for reimbursement once funding has been issued. Funding will be issued on July 15.
So the short version for Utah families: awards start June 16, the program year and most spending start July 1, and reimbursement funding is issued July 15, with the tuition deposit exception noted above.
Homeschool Facts and Tips for This Week
Did you know? There were roughly 3.4 million K-12 homeschool students in the United States in 2024-25, about 6.26 percent of the school age population. Homeschooling is no longer a fringe choice, it is a mainstream one. (Source: NHERI)
Growth tip. In 2024-25, 80 percent of reporting states saw homeschool numbers grow, and 36 percent of states hit their all-time high, passing even their pandemic peaks. Standouts included South Carolina at plus 21.5 percent, Vermont at plus 17 percent, and Ohio at plus 15 percent.
Cost tip. If your state has an ESA program, read the funding calendar as carefully as the eligibility rules. Several programs this month opened and closed in a matter of days, and a missed window can mean waiting a full year for the next cycle.
Planning tip. Mid-June is the right time to sketch a loose plan for the fall. You do not need a rigid schedule, just a sense of your main subjects, a few field trip ideas, and any curriculum you still need to order while summer sales are running.
Social tip. Summer is a great season to find your people. Look for a local co-op, a library reading group, or a homeschool meetup at a park. Going into the new year with a few familiar faces makes the whole thing feel lighter.
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